Final Fantasy VII: Final Heaven
by ThisDayOnMTV
Summary: This story sums up Tifa's story. Rated T just in case
1. Chapter 1

This is my first time writing a final fantasy fanfic! I got the inspiration to write this after reading the book "The Hero and the Crown" by Robin Mckinley. Since Advent Children summarises up Cloud's story and Dirge of Cerberus summarises up Vincent's, I decided to try one for Tifa. Please r & r!

Final Fantasy VII: Final Heaven 

----------------------------------------------Chapter 1----------------------------------------------

She listened as the sound of the engine of his fenrir grew softer and softer until she could hear it no more. Sighing, she sat down and stared out of the window of the bar and began to reminisce about the past events. It had been a year now since Cloud had last battled Sephiroth, eventually defeating him and gaining back his confidence, to the happiness of Tifa. "At least all that lecturing paid off!" Tifa thought to herself, smiling as she gazed out of the window in the direction of where Cloud was heading. Tifa was a happy person for now, business at the bar was good and Marlene and Denzel were finally going to school. Cloud was also a whole new person and that was the most she could ever hope for.

Yet something was missing.

Deep inside her, Tifa knew what it was but she never brought it up. Even if she did think about it, the pain was too much to bear. So she preferred to lock it up away instead, where she would not be reminded of it so. Tifa looked at herself in the mirror hanging on the wall at the back of the bar. She was still young and pretty, despite the hectic job of running a bar and taking care of kids. She also knew how to fight which was a bonus, "so why does he not love me?"

The sound of footsteps disrupted her chain of thoughts. A man burst into the bar and hurriedly approached her.

"Does Cloud Strife live here?" he asked.

Tifa nodded. "Great, is he at home? I really need to speak to him."

"I'm sorry but he just left a couple of minutes ago. He won't be back until tomorrow."

Upon hearing that, the man grew visibly upset.

"Is anything the matter?"

" Actually yes, there's a dragon living in a cave at the edge of Midgar. It has already killed 2 children from my village and noone from my village knows how to fight! I heard that a young man named Cloud Strife could fight and so I thought maybe he could help us. But seeing that he isn't here…" the man stopped midway and sighed.

"I'm really sorry but he's not here. Maybe you could wait until tomorrow?" Tifa said with regret.

"I guess I will have to but who knows how many other people the creature would have gotten by then…Thanks for your help anyway, miss" the man said sadly. With his head down, he shuffled towards the open door.

Tifa considered offering her help but she knew that she was needed there at the orpahange. "What if something happens while I'm not at home?" she thought. But then looking at the man in such distress and thinking about how the dragon had already killed 2 children, she finally called out to him.

"Wait! Erm… I can help!"


	2. Chapter 2

I tried my best to make a nice fighting scene so I hope you guys will like it!

----------------------------------------------Chapter 2----------------------------------------------

Tifa stood outside the rock cave, pausing for a moment. She could hear the pounding of the dragon's footsteps on the ground as it paced in its loom. "The thing is awake, that is so great" Tifa groaned. The man from the village had led her to the crossroads leading to the cave before running off, "Probably to save his own skin," she thought. Clutching Cloud's Buster sword, she took one last look at the beautiful landscape outside before heading towards the entrance of the cave.

Just then when she least expected it, the dragon hurtled out of its den and straight at her. "Damn!" Tifa was a born martial artist and quickly moved out of its way. The dragon reared its scaly head back to blast a big orange ball of fire at her. She dodged it and took advantage of the dragon's slow reaction to make a slash at it.

She hit the dragon square on the jaw which made it even angrier. It whipped around and tried to grab hold of the sword with its teeth. But its long sharp teeth could not grab hold of the long thin sword well and Tifa managed to yank it free. The dragon blasted her with another ball of fire and she dodged it by taking cover behind the cave wall. She ran up onto the top of the cave and made a daring jump onto the back of the dragon before stabbing it with Cloud's sword, but she could not do much damage due to the hard protective scales. The dragon flung Tifa onto the ground and slashed at her with its claws. Tifa acted fast and took out one of the seven swords to nail down part of the dragon's claw to the ground before using the other six to slash off its head.

Breathing hard, she stared at the dead dragon that lay before her. " That wasn't too hard" She thought to herself.

Suddenly, another blast of fire came from behind her. Tifa made a backward flip over it. But she was not as lucky this round, the fire burnt off the lower part of her hair and licked at parts of her skin. "Damn! It has a mate! There are often two of them, how could I have forgotten?" Tifa thought.

Landing in front of the female dragon, she made a dolphin blow to it. The dragon was stunned by the water for a second but quickly recovered and made a swipe at her with its tail. Tifa jumped over it while trying to slash at it. The dragon then sent one claw coming down at her and Tifa was hit to the ground. "Crap" she thought. She turned over just in time as the dragon's claw came down on the ground where she just was. Tifa performed a waterkick at the dragon and then raising Cloud's sword high above her head, cut off its head.

Tifa kept still for a moment in case another dragon came hurtling out of the cave. When none came, she packed the two dragon heads into a bundle and looked for a stream. When she had finally found one, she bathed the parts of her skin where the dragon fire had hit her. Luckily, Tifa had not suffered any major burns. She checked to make sure that she still looked fine with her slightly shorter hair.

Tifa realised that for once in a long time since Cloud had left Nibelheim to join SOLDIER, she felt free. Free from her daily hectic life of running that bar. Free from running after kids. But most of all, free from that painful lonely ache inside her. "You don't know how much I love you, Cloud," she whispered to herself.

Gathering herself up, she made her way down to the village.


	3. Chapter 3

-----------------------------------------------------------Chapter 3---------------------------------------------------------------

There, the village people had all gathered at the edge of the village to greet her. The man came forward, " did you meet the dragon, miss?" he asked. Tifa took out the two dragon heads and the village people moved further away from her at the sight of them. "Yes I met your dragon and its mate, they shall not bother you any longer" Tifa reassured them. The village people cheered and offered Tifa food and drinks.

She looked to the sky and saw that it was almost night. " Crap! Cloud should be coming home soon!" she said to herself.

"Look!" a small boy cried out, pointing to something in the distance. As it got nearer, Tifa realised from the sound of its engine that it was Cloud's fenrir. "Oh boy, I wonder what he's gonna say" she thought.

Cloud reached the village and pulled over. "Tifa Lockhart! What in the world do you think you're doing slaying dragons all by yourself? You could have been killed!"

"Yeah but someone had to help them" Tifa told him and got onto his fenrir.

As they drove through the night, Tifa had to endure a lecture from Cloud, " Do you know dangerous dragons are? What if you had been killed? Who's going to take care of the kids?"

"It's not like you've ever cared about me" Tifa thought to herself.

"Promise me you'll never do that again" Cloud said.

"Promise you?" Tifa asked in surprise. To herself she thought " The last time we made a promise to each other was in Nibelheim, before you left, does this mean…."

"Yes, promise me" Cloud said firmly.

Tifa sighed, " Cloud, I can't"

"Why not?"

"Today," she hesitated, " when I fought the dragons. I actually felt… … free."

"Free?"

"Yeah, it's been a really long time since I've last put on my gloves to fight, you know" Tifa said with a smile.

"I guess it's all the stress and loneliness from being in the bar that has gotten onto you. I'm sorry, I forgot that while you were working day after day in the bar, I was actually out there doing things."

"Hey man it's ok, I'll try not to do it again if you really don't want me too."

"No, you should go, if you like it."

"Really?"

They had finally reached Seventh Heaven and Cloud swerved into the front.

"Yeah. And as for that buster sword, keep it, it's a spare." Cloud said.

"Sweet, thanks!" Tifa laughed.

The two of them were alone out in the moonlight. They admired the clear sky and the full moon in companionable silence. Each thinking about the their past.

Tifa was the first to break the silence. "Remember when in Nibelheim, you asked me to meet you out in the moonlight?"

Cloud slowly nodded, " Yeah, I told you that I was going to join SOLDIER."

"Yeah, and then I made you promise me something."

" To save you when you needed help."

Tifa laughed. "I was just a young girl then. A young girl who honestly believed in fairy tales. All the knights-in-shining-armour rescuing princesses from the bad guys and all that. One would almost believe that fairy tales really existed in real life!"

Cloud paused for a moment, " Don't they?"

Tifa glanced at him and then looked down, " I don't know Cloud, I don't know."

They both lapsed into silence again, neither knowing what to say. The conversations were getting more and more uncomfortable these days.

"Cloud?"

"Yes?"

"Can you promise me something? Just one last thing I swear."

"Erm…Ok I'll try to."

"Promise me that one day, when I die, you won't grieve over my death? Not that much at least. Not like how you grieved over Aer… …" Tifa stopped midway, mentally kicking herself for almost reminding Cloud about Aerith's death when he had just gotten over it. "… … Just promise me that you will get over it fast and you will continue with your life as normal. Promise me?"

Cloud didn't know what to say for a moment. "Why… … why are you suddenly making me promise this kind of thing?"

"I don't know. I just felt like it I guess."

Cloud pondered over what Tifa had just wanted him to promise her. "What is she truly thinking about?"

"Well ok, I promise." Cloud said reluctantly.

Tifa breathed a sigh of relief.

"Well then, good night!" she said, walking into the house.

"Good night" Cloud said.


	4. Chapter 4

Hey, I decided to add in a king into this story.

----------------------------------------Chapter 4----------------------------------------------------

The next day, Tifa continued her daily chores as if nothing had happened. However, that day, Cloud was there to help her since no new calls had been made asking for delivery services. The bar was so much more fun with Cloud there. They talked, joked and laughed with each other just like good friends would. It was a very busy day for the bartenders because people from all over were streaming in to ask Tifa about the fight with the dragon.

"Was it big?" "Were you scared?" "I heard it was ten stories high and breathed out smoke so thick that it would choke up your lungs!"

"Guys, guys! Calm down. There were only two dragons and they weren't that big… …" Tifa would then continue telling the story to the mesmerised group with Cloud leaning against one of the tables and smiling to himself. So the day dragged on until around lunchtime when things took a twist.

A man on a chocobo came to a halt right outside the bar. He got off and went in.

"Tifa Lockhart?" he asked, looking around.

Everyone in the bar stopped to turn and stare at the newcomer.

Tifa stepped forward, "That would be me."

"Thank god. There's news from the northern side that there's a ferocious dragon attacking a village just off the northern coast. Will you come?"

The whole bar stared at the Tifa expectantly.

"Of course I'll come" she said.

"I'll come with you" Cloud said.

"No, the kids need you Cloud. I'll go alone." Tifa said firmly and Cloud knew that there was no changing her mind.

Tifa packed her gloves and some food into her backpack and grabbing her new buster sword, left on her chocobo with the man.

Standing at the doorway of the bar, looking at the two chocobos decreasing into the distance, Cloud finally realised how Tifa felt to see him do that everyday.

The dragon and its mate were easier than the first two that Tifa met owing to the fact that Tifa had gotten pretty used to it already. She was also much more prepared for their fire blasts and watched out for their tails which were being dangerously swung around.

She nimbly cut off the head of the first dragon and quickly somersaulted into the air to avoid the claws of the second dragon. Using dolphin blow, she put out the fire blast that came from the dragon and then jumping high into the air, cut off its ugly head.

She looked around for more dragons and found a litter of four baby dragons. "Aww so cute" she thought to herself. But then thinking about how they would grow up and eat up other human beings, she took out the sword and killed all of them.

She only suffered from a few minor cuts and bruises from the fight. The village had a white mage who managed to heal them but could do nothing about the bit of hair that had been burnt off. She stayed the night in the village and was given the nicest hut there. "Wow not bad for a heroine" Tifa thought.

The next day, Tifa woke up early and rode her chocobo back home. "Tifa!" Denzel and Marlene ran forward to greet her. "Hey you two!" she laughed and enveloped the two of them in a hug.

"Tifa! How could you just run away without telling us?" Marlene scolded her. "Yeah! We thought you had run away just like Cloud did!" Denzel said.

"I'm really sorry but you were away at school and I simply just had to leave or more people could have died!" Tifa said apologetically.

Cloud emerged from the bar. "So how'd it go?"

"It went well. I wasn't burnt."

"Well that's good, because you have a dinner to attend to this evening."

"What?" Tifa cried.

"Yep you heard me. A dinner held by his Majesty to honour you for slaying of the dragons."

"What?" she cried again. "I don't need a dinner!"

"Well you just have to go," Cloud said with a grin, " It's the king we're talking about. And don't worry about dresses and all, the messenger said everything will be provided for you at the castle so all you've got to do is be there nice and early to get changed. Oh yeah and you are to bring along an escort."

"But… …but I don't deserve this! All I did was to slay a few dragons, that's all."

"Too bad mate."

"Cloud will you come with me please? I'll only go if you'll go, you know that!" Tifa begged him.

"Woah woah wait a second. When did I say I wanted to go?"

"Please! I would feel so much better with you around." To herself she thought, " I've always felt good with you around, ever since we were little… …"

"Just do me this one favour please?"

Cloud sighed, he knew it would come to this, "All right."

Tifa's worried face broke into a smile and she hugged Cloud, "Thank you so much."

"After all that you have done for me. I'd do anything for you Tifa." Cloud thought to himself and hugged Tifa back.


	5. Chapter 5

-------------------------------------------Chapter 5-----------------------------------------------------

Tifa stared at herself in the mirror. It was her first time wearing a dress ever since the high school prom.

However, Cloud wasn't there then to see her.

The king had sent a carriage to fetch Tifa, Cloud and the kids over to the castle to prepare for the ball that evening. Tifa was ushered into a room full of maids who got started dressing her up and styling her hair.

"I wonder how Cloud's doing," mused Tifa. She thought about how Cloud would hate seeing himself in a suit since he had never worn one before.

"All right. Here goes!" Tifa said to herself before stepping out of her room and making her way down to the hall. At arriving at the top of the steps that led to the hall, she spotted Cloud standing at the bottom of it, looking rather uneasily around.

Tifa laughed and Cloud spun around.

"I knew you wouldn't like the idea of wearing a suit!" Tifa said amusedly.

Cloud stared at her. "Is this the Tifa that I know? She has never looked this beautiful… …"

Tifa walked down the stairs to join him.

"Aren't you going to offer me your arm?" She asked.

"Oh er… … yeah" Cloud quickly said before putting his arm out.

For the first time in their whole lives, the two of them actually walked into the ballroom linking arms.

As soon as Tifa stepped into the ballroom, all the guests turned to applaud.

The king then thanked her in front of everyone for risking her life to save so many people. " Now that that's done. Let's get on with the dinner and the dancing!" he said and the band struck up a tune.

"Tifa! Tifa! You look so pretty today!" Marlene exclaimed, running over to Tifa. "Why thank you Marlene, so do you! Have you gotten yourself some food yet?"

"No but have you seen Denzel?"

Just then, Denzel came over and graciously asked Marlene for a dance.

Tifa smiled proudly, " Where did you learn that Denzel?"

"Oh I just saw a couple of guys doing it," Denzel said before leading Marlene to the dance floor.

Tifa and Cloud were left at the corner of the ballroom.

"May I have this dance?" a voice beside Tifa said. It belonged to a dashing young gentleman.

"Oh erm… …do you mind?" Tifa asked Cloud who shook his head.

Getting up, Tifa walked with the man out onto the dance floor. "Why, you look lovely this evening," the man said as they danced. "Thank you," Tifa said, feeling a little disappointed. "What's the matter? Is something bothering you?" he asked. Tifa shook her head, " Just feeling tired from yesterday." "Well you sure must be, I wouldn't dare fight a dragon!" the man said and Tifa smiled politely.

"You wouldn't, but Cloud would," Tifa thought before the song ended and another man came to dance with her.

Cloud watched Tifa dance from the side. " She's still as beautiful as she was in the past in Nibelheim. I must have been so caught up with their deaths to not notice."

"Cloud! Cloud!" Marlene cried out, running over to him with Denzel behind.

"What is it, Marlene?" Cloud asked.

"Are you just going to stand there and watch Tifa dance with so many other men? If you can save the world from Sephiroth, why can't you dance with her? You do love her don't you?" Marlene said.

Cloud looked down, " Marlene, I only love Tifa as a friend. You wouldn't understand… …" With that, Cloud walked out of the ballroom and on the dance floor, a tear rolled down Tifa's cheek.

After five consecutive dances, Tifa returned silently to the side. She had seen Cloud walk out and was upset about why he did not come dance with her. " I'll never win a place in your heart, it's still full of Aerith" she thought.

"Tifa! How are you enjoying yourself?" the king came over to her.

"I'm enjoying myself very much. Thank you for holding this ball for me although it wasn't' necessary."

"No, no it was. It is not everyday that we get a heroine who so willingly risks her life for others. We need more of those people now, since the war is about to start."

"What war?" Tifa asked, looking up sharply.

"Didn't you know?" the king asked in surprise. Tifa shook her head.

"Do you realize that many fiends, like those dragons, have been showing up lately? They come from the north, sent by Agsded"

"Agsded?" Tifa asked.

"Yes, a sorcerer who uses black magic to send mischief into Midgar."

" I thought the crown… …"

"The crown has gone missing and has been missing for many years. We just did not tell the people because I didn't want them to worry. But now, the one and only thing that protects Midgar from all evil has gone missing and a war is about to start. I think it is time I told the people."

" Wait, what does Agsded plan to do?"

"He has started to take over the icicle area. I'm guessing he plans to slowly break us down by sending in fiends. Then when he has finally taken over all of the Midgar and Grasslands area, he can easily take over the rest of the world. Tomorrow, I will go west to make plans with the king of Wutai… …"

Tifa did not sleep that night.


End file.
